Caterpillar - Finning Canada

Field test: MT tracked tractors show versatilityFinning to shine on the future with a new lookRightTheChoiceTrades rise as practicaland rewarding careersSUMMER 2005 www.finning.caHome BaseFox Creek service firmkeeps the operation localPower NapFatigue in the workplaceSpecial DeliveryFinning Terrace takesservice to the open skyNon-deliverable mail should be directed to: #201, 10350-124 Street, Edmonton, AB T5N 3V9 Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #40020055

381630Departments4 The Finning FocusBrand reflects progress6 GroundBreakerCat chopper, Oilsandsexpansion, Puerto Ricocalling, Prince George growth,By the numbers10 The Tech ReportKey technology goes forsecurity and much more11 Yellow IronNew products andservices from Finning20 Safety FirstA nap during a shift mightmake the workplace safer27 Yesterday/TodayWetaskiwin equipment showprimed for success41 Bill’s BusinessThe chance to expand42 Count On UsThe tradition of serviceCONTENTS SUMMER 2005Features12 Building LangleyB.C. construction firm takes ondesign-build specialty16 Tractor PullMT tractors brings ag-businessan edge28 Meeting the ChallengeFinning in Terrace goes the distance30 Team EffortCustom machine designed for safetyand savings34 Field Test: Multiple TasksNew MT 865 takes a pre-season workout36 Industry HighlightB.C.’s mining industry set to shine38 Fox TrotAlberta oilfield service firm keepsit in the familyIndustry Report21 Employment and Recruiting22 Demanding TimesChallenges ahead to maintaina skilled workforce25 Passion for TradesEducation and training lead torewarding careers25ON THE COVERCOLETTE DEBEURSEDMONTON, ALBERTAPHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN GAUCHERwww.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 3

The Finning FocusA New Identity, anEnduring CommitmentAfter 72 years of operation, Finning hasarrived at another milestone. The 35-year-old double bars of our old logo willbe traded for a new, fresh look at FinningInternational operations in Canada, theUnited Kingdom and South America. We’llphase in this new brand identity over thenext couple of years.The new look keeps Finning in step withour business partner Caterpillar, whichadopted its new scheme three years ago.The move to a more consistent brand imagemirrors what we’re striving for in our relationshipswith you, our valued customers.Namely, we always want to help you getmore out of the business you’re in – whetherit’s doing landscape work in a residentialneighbourhood or moving tonnes of overburdenat a mine site.Looking back, that’s been our focus sinceEarl B. Finning hung the first Finning signon a Vancouver building back in 1933. Hismotto was: “We service what we sell.” Thoseare our roots, the groundwork of our business,even today.Since that time, the Finning team hasdeveloped a sophisticated range of servicesdesigned to keep owners of rugged, dependableCat equipment running at full capacity.Finning’s innovative approaches continueto attract the best and the brightest problem-solversin the industry. From the earlypioneers who kept customers’ equipmentup and running as they built a province,we have evolved into a modern tech-savvyinternational workforce. Today, Finningdeploys industry-specific solutions to maximizemachine productivity.I trust you’ll view our new brand identityas evidence of our continued commitmentto your success. We’re here to help you experiencethe thrill that comes from achievingand surpassing the goals you’ve set for yourselfand your business.Your partner along the journey, is the resourceful,professional, approachable, andnow, new look Finning team. We look forwardto serving you – for the next 70 yearsand beyond.The New Face of FinningIAN REID, PRESIDENT, FINNING (CANADA)THE NEW LOOK will be phased in at all Finning International operations worldwide over thenext few years.(Below) Original Finning sign goes up on a Vancouver building early in Finning’s history.4 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

SUMMER 2005 Volume 45, No. 2PUBLISHERRuth Kellyrkelly@venturepublishing.caASSOCIATE PUBLISHERJoyce Byrnejbyrne@venturepublishing.caEXECUTIVE EDITORJeff Howardjhoward@finning.caEDITORMalcolm Swordmsword@venturepublishing.caART DIRECTORJennifer Windsorjwindsor@venturepublishing.caASSOCIATE ART DIRECTORVanlee Tranvtran@venturepublishing.caDESIGN & PRODUCTIONGunnar Blodgett, Catherine LizotteCIRCULATION MANAGERRob Kellyrobkelly@venturepublishing.caADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVEAnita McGillisamcgillis@venturepublishing.caLetters & FeedbackI DO LIKE TO RECEIVE Tracks & Treads, and enjoy reading aboutthe technologies coming out.I have always been a Caterpillar fan and to this day I have yetto see a Cat machine let us down come whatever may. Caterpillarhas always kept our farm machinery going. We own two Challengertractors. Just got one last spring for $252,671 and I think it isworth all of that, because now we know, come hell or high water,the Challenger will keep us going. We also have two Peterbilttrucks with Cat engines, a 966 crawler loader and a RT80 zoomboom with a 40-foot-high reach. All of these engines just workgreat.We also have a 280 Steiger with a 3406 that outperforms, interms of fuel used per acre worked, any other tractor we have. Fueleconomy is outstanding on this engine and it has over 8,000 hoursand is still going strong.So, Caterpillar has always been good as far as I can recall. Evenwhen I was just a kindergarten boy, back in 1938, Cat has alwaysstood out above all others.I look forward to getting Tracks & Treads for a long time yet.Jacob J. Waldner, ManagerFairville ColonyBassano, AlbertaCONTRIBUTING WRITERSRobin Brunet, Gord Cope, Tony Kryzanowski,Steven Sandor, Christopher Spencer, Bill Tice,Kerry Tremblay, Jim VeenbaasCONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSAND ILLUSTRATORSSylvie Bourbonnière, Dustin Delfs, John Gaucher,John Roder, Rob Salmon, Bill TiceTracks & Treads is published to provide its readerswith relevant business, technology, product andservice information in a lively and engaging manner.Tracks & Treads is published forFinning (Canada) byVenture Publishing Inc.#201, 10350-124 StreetEdmonton, Alberta T5N 3V9Phone: 780-990-0839Fax: 780-425-4921Contents © 2004 by Finning (Canada)No part of this publication should bereproduced without written permission.Tell us what you thinkTracks & Treads would love to hear from you. Tell us what you think of themagazine, its stories, its columns, its look. Tell us how we can improve themagazine and make it a more interesting read.Send your comments to executive editor Jeff Howard by e-mail at jhoward@finning.caor the old-fashioned way to: Jeff Howard, Tracks & Treads, Finning (Canada),16830 - 107 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T5P 4C3www.finning.cawww.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 5

GROUNDBREAKERNEWS &REVIEWSGROUNDBREAKERCOMPILED AND WRITTENBY JIM VEENBAASGetting Biggerto be BetterWhen the Finning (Canada) service centreopened in Mildred Lake near the SyncrudeCanada Ltd.’s plant north of Fort McMurray inthe 1970s, things were a lot smaller. The biggesttrucks could fit into the glove compartment ofthe monster machines that roll into the centrefor maintenance these days. Finning expandedthe Mildred Lake shop in June of 2004 andsuper-sized the building. The shop easily accommodatesthe 400-tonne behemoths thatnow dominate the operations of the big oilsandsdevelopers.Three bays were added and each is big enoughto safely accommodate Cat 797s. Moreover, two50-tonne cranes were installed to hoist the heavymachines. As well, a stand-alone wash bay and atrack press were added.“This really allows us to improve the deliveryof our service and the effectiveness of that service,”says Brian Shaw, Finning’s oilsands managerin Fort McMurray. “When you’re workingon a truck the size of the 797, you need to havea proper crane and you need a building largeenough to lift up the giant box inside.”Long Distance HelpThe expansion project was also needed to accommodatethe 200% increase in repair volumeat the service centre in the last five years. “Wecouldn’t bring the 797s into the shop unless wehad the body and the outside duels off,” saysRandy McDonald, Finning’s regional managerfor branch operations. “Now we have a placeto assemble the 797s. When the temperature is-30°C, it’s not very efficient to work outside.”In addition to the new shop space, there is20,000 square feet of new warehouse spaceequipped with the latest storage and retrievaltechnology. Finning will use the high-densitystorage system to house the large volume of replacementparts needed to accommodate the increasedactivity. “This is a huge improvement onthe parts side – better than what we had in termsof square footage and ability to access and shipthe parts in a timely fashion,” says McDonald.As the leadhand mechanic at the FinningCustomer Support Centre, Ken Stewart fields callsfrom all kinds of operators across North America.But he nearly fell out of his chair when he pickedup the phone Feb. 2 and discovered he was talkingto a farmer from Puerto Rico.“He was calling from a small island off ofPuerto Rico. He was using an old D4C tractor, itmust have been built in the ‘60s, and he wantedto know what kind of fluid to fill the gear box with,”says Stewart. “I couldn’t believe it. It was 9 p.m.and I’m getting a call from Puerto Rico. We getan occasional call from Alaska, but never that faraway.”He listened to the caller describe his problem.With experience in heavy equipment repair,Stewart knew the tractor needed transmissionfluid and guided him through the process of fillingup the fluids.“He didn’t want to damage anything and theydidn’t have much on the island where he was living.This guy was doing his regular walkaroundmaintenance and he didn’t have the service manualanymore and he just wanted to make sure itwould be ready for the next day,” Stewart says.“He found our Internet site and gave us a call.He couldn’t believe someone was still on call atthat time of night. We helped him out and his tractorwas working as good as ever.”6 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

GROUNDBREAKEROrange CountyChoppers Buildsa Cat MachineCaterpillar has long been associated with some ofthe biggest, toughest, most-rugged machinery inthe world. Now those same qualities have beenbuilt into the latest Cat machine to hit the ground –a new street bike designed by the boys fromOrange County Choppers.The Cat Chopper is the latest creation fromPaul Teutul Sr. and his sons Paul Jr. and Mikey.The family builds some of the world’s most famousbikes for its television show American Chopper,which can be seen twice a week on the DiscoveryChannel. The Cat Chopper, one of the most powerfulbikes ever created by OCC, is decked out inCat’s distinctive yellow and looks as tough as oneof the company’s 797 mining trucks. With sleeklines, powerful bars, a massive back tire and fender,the Cat Chopper will leave a lasting impressionwhen people see it prowling the highways.“Being around the construction industry before,we know that the Cat brand carries a legacyof quality, strength and toughness ... the samethings we now strive for at OCC,” says Paul Jr.,the chief designer and fabricator. “That’s why wewere so excited to have an opportunity to build theCat Chopper.”In order to draw inspiration for their design,the crew from OCC toured Caterpillar’s Track-TypeTractor plant in East Peoria, Illinois. They even operateda 124 tonne D11R Carrydozer during thetour.“Touring the plant, seeing the quality that goesCAT TOUGH: PAUL TEUTUL SR., PAUL TEUTUL JR.into every aspect of the machine build, and meetingthe people who make it all happen gave methe inspiration I needed to create a bike thatCaterpillar employees, dealers and customers canbe proud to call their own,” says Teutul Jr. Peopleacross North America tuned in to watch the twopartseries in April as the family put its skill andcreativity to work, transforming the power of Catinto a motorcycle. If you didn’t have a chance tocatch the action on the tube, Discovery ChannelCanada will run the two-part series again on June14 and June 21.Caterpillar has big plans for the chopper aswell. The bike will hit the highways and tour 30 Catdealers across the United States starting in May.Between July 15 and 17 the machine will make astar appearance at the Edmonton Grand Prix.www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 7

GROUNDBREAKERMACHINIST IAN MACKAYPrince George GrowsBusiness isbooming likenever beforein PrinceGeorge andthe new shopgives themthe capabilityof workingon some ofthe largestcylindersmade byCaterpillarBritish Columbia’s surging economy is fuellinggrowth at the Finning hydraulic cylinder shop inPrince George. Darcy Frankforth and his staffhave recently added more than 5,000 square feetof shop space by moving into a vacated buildingon their existing property.“We looked at our old facility and the growthin the economy in our area and decided we neededto expand. It was one of those situations wherewe either had to grow or seriously look at otheroptions,” says Frankforth. “Everything pointedto the opportunities out there and it’s succeededbeyond our expectations.”Making the move was a natural choice forthe Prince George operation. There was a 7,000square-foot fabrication shop sitting on theirproperty that wasn’t being used. They renovatedthe building, brought in new equipment and hadthe new digs up and running in short order. Theyeven put the old building to use, converting itinto a clean room for engine assembly.“We’ve been getting busier and busier andwe’ve increased our staff, but what we found wasthat moving materials around was slowing usdown. The big thing is that we now have morework stations and we’re putting in new cranes,which allows us to increase efficiency, producemore work in less time and reduce the chance ofdamaging materials,” says Frankforth.To reduce costs, Frankforth was able to salvagesome equipment from the Pacific FluidPower shop that closed down in Edmonton.Cranes, jibs, lathes, polishers, honing benchesand other equipment were all trucked in fromEdmonton. “It really worked nicely because thestuff may have gone to auction and we might nothave recovered the full value. This was a great opportunityfor us to grow without the high costs,”says Frankforth.The expansion project has been a real team effort.The company’s eight employees played a keyrole in designing the new facility. They all volunteeredtime to help with some improvements.“We sat down, before we even made the decisionto grow the business, and talked to ouremployees and explained what we wanted todo and where we needed to go. We wanted tomake sure they were engaged and involved,” saysFrankforth.“They’ve been the real success story. They designedwhere the equipment should be placed,”he adds. “Before anything happened, they wereover there looking at it and getting their ideasand thoughts. They know the business and theyknow what’s needed. Their ideas are well foundedand well thought out.“Our staff came in one weekend with all theirfamilies and friends, everyone donated their timeand we painted the walls,” Frankforth says. “Theywanted the place to look professional because wewere really going after a cylinder customer. Wespent the whole weekend painting and preppingthe building, the client came a few weeks laterand we got their business.”Business is booming like never before inPrince George and the new shop gives them thecapability of working on some of the largest cylindersmade by Caterpillar. In fact, Frankforthset a target to double cylinder work in 2005 andso far they have exceeded even those lofty goals.“We’re doing 994 cylinders and they’re comingall the way down from the Northwest Territories.We get all the cylinders for BHP Mines in theNorthwest Territories, we’re hiring more employeesand adding an afternoon shift. We’ll be ableto offer service from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.”8 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

GROUNDBREAKERBy the Numbers12– Size of Orange County Choppers(OCC) Paul Teutul Sr.’s work bootNumber of Phantom’sthat could be carried bya Caterpillar 797Bhaul truck:Number ofkid-sized sandboxesa 797B can haul:950Shaquille O’Neal’s:221354,000Number of lessons from the sandboxthat can be applied to business leadershipaccording to author Alan Gregerman:– average number of wordsin the vocabulary of an AfricanGrey parrotAverage numberof words used bydoctors during aconsultation: 933933Price of Shaq’s wedding gift – a PhantomRolls-Royce – to Donald Trump andMelania Knauss:$325,000Rank of the customCaterpillar bike among projectscompleted by OCC in termsof bigness, toughnessand ruggedness:131Price of a set ofOrange CountyChopper talkingaction figures:$34.95 USNumber of provinces,outside of B.C. wherehousing constructionwill grow in 2005:0Growth of B.C.’sconstruction workforcebetween 1991 and 2001:2,800Since 2001: 47,000Maximum federal government grant availablefor commercial building owners who plantvegetation on roofs: dkdidid$60,000www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 9

The Tech ReportTHE DAYS OF THE CAT MASTER KEY SYSTEM ARE NUMBERED. STEVENSANDOR WRITES ABOUT TECHNOLOGY DESIGNED TO KEEP EQUIPMENTIN THE RIGHT HANDS.Smart KeyFor years, Caterpillar machines acrossthe world have used a master-key system.Any operator carrying a Cat key can startup any machine. This system has mobilityadvantages. Qualified operators are able togo from job to job and haveaccess to equipment.However, there are somedrawbacks. It leaves companiesvulnerable to theftand equipment misuse.Management has no way oftracking who’s using whichmachines at what times.Cat’s recently developedtheft deterrent system isabout to make all-accesskeys a thing of the past.“It is fairly new,” says TomPetras, the Finning (Canada)technologyproductscustomer account manager.“ Just a few of our customersare using it. But it’san option that can be retrofittedonto any factoryequipment.”The system works usinga yellow radio frequency(RF) key. The key is embeddedwith a transmitter thatemits a unique code for each operator.The shop manager programs the onboardequipment with a Cat Pocket Tec or a PalmPilot to assign keys specific codes to start aparticular piece of equipment.“Let’s say you have 20 operators on site,but want only 10 of them to be able to operatea particular machine,” Petras explains.“You can program it so only those operators’10 keys would be able to start themachine. Other keys would not work.”The system has an override feature whichbypasses the onboard key control system.It will shut down other electronic componentson the machine, rendering it useless.Petras notes theft reports in the fieldare minimal, but there are urban legendsdescribing a hunter who gets his pickupstuck in the bush and comes across a Cat.He uses his master key to use equipmenthe isn’t authorized to operate to get outof his rut. As well, Petras notes, the RFkey system will soon be integrated withFinning’s GMS machinery tracking system.“Customers are able to track exactlywhich staff members are operating whichequipment at specific times.”At Sunpine Forest Products Ltd.’s westcentralAlberta mill site west of RockyMountain House, a 950G wheel loader isoutfitted with the new system, says mobileshop foreman Wes Galbraith. With over200 people on a job site that operates 24-7,the loader is busy for two, 11-hour shifts,four days a week. Galbraith wants to knowexactly who is operating the machine, sothe new RF system wasthe answer. “We areusing it for machinecontrol,” Galbraith outlines.“We know thatthe operators using theequipment are fullytrained and signed offto use the machine,” headds. “And, from there,we will be able to tellwhat operators are doingwith their time onthe machine.” Operatoridentity, working andidling time are trackedby the system, Galbraithexplains. “With 200people on site, the systemstops all joyriding,and ensures only authorizedpeople use themachine,” he says.“Wecan eliminate waste.”There are always peopleon site, so theft isnot a major concernat the mill. But Galbraith does see thesystem’s value in that area. “We don’thave a lot of experience with theft, but,looking at the machine, I can see why[the RF] would be a hell of a deterrent.”It appears that the days of the Cat masterkey are numbered. Soon, Cat operatorswill be tuned to a different frequency –one that comes from the RF key in theirpocket.ILLUSTRATION BY SYLVIE BOURBONNIÈRE10 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

YELLOWIRONNew Products and Ser vices from FinningD8T takes it to the next levelThe new D8T track-type tractor, with an ACERT C15engine, comes equipped with a Cat Monitoring DisplaySystem with Advisor to give operators and service techniciansinsight into machine operation and maintenanceneeds. The D8T also has the capability to set individualpreferences for specific operators to boost operator efficiencyand productivity. An electronic ripper control anddual-twist tiller control contributes to easy operation.Cat Machine Security SystemStolen equipment means lost productivity. Protect yourmachine with the Cat Machine Security System, whichguards against theft by disabling a machine’s startingsystem. Thieves cannot bypass the starting systembecause Machine Security System is integrated into theelectronics. Only a key with your unique code can start themachine. This new programmable Cat system is availablefor nearly all brands of equipment.Classic line expanded with liner kitsCat Classic parts give you repair options for those oldermachines. And we’ve now supplemented the Classiccatalogue with liner kits for D330s, D333s and 3300 PCengines. Also available are crankshafts, cylinder heads,valve kits, PC chambers, connecting rods, mufflers,exhaust manifolds, fuel transfer pumps and fuel lines.Watch for Classic 3300 direct injection engine partscoming soon.Small … and solid is beautifulBuilding on a reputation for solid powertrain technology,Challenger’s MT200 B-Series tractors represent amajor leap forward in styling, ergonomics, hydrauliccapacity and serviceability. Ranging in horsepower from23.3 to 44.2, the MT200 series is built to Challenger’sstringent specifications by Iseki Tractors. With fourgears under one mph, the MT265 allows a snow blower,rototiller or other implement to work in tough conditions.www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 11

COMPANY PROFILE :: Teck Construction Ltd.Albert (left) and George TecklenborgPHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB SALMON12 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

Second generation takingthe family business tonew heightsBuildingLangleyB Y R O B I N B R U N E TPHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB SALMONFrom a second-floor vantage point, Teck ConstructionLtd.’s headquarters boasts a panoramicview of Langley, British Columbia. The townis widely regarded as the rural antidote to theurban sprawl of Vancouver’s Lower Mainland.With little effort, Teck staff can spot some of thebuildings company founder Al Tecklenborg erected here in thepast 40 years. As well, the newer edifices created by his sons,George and Albert are in eyeshot. It could be argued that TeckConstruction has helped foster Langley’s status as one of theLower Mainland’s fastest-growing regions. The company hasgained a reputation as a tilt-up specialist, and despite B.C.’s economicups and downs, suffered surprisingly few setbacks apartfrom the odd mishap – like the time the company’s prized Caterpillar420D backhoe was stolen from a job site.Although Teck runs various types of equipment from differentmanufacturers, Cat backhoes are the keystone in the company’smastery of the design-build format. “Design-build providesthe opportunity to simplify all construction methods in thecommercial and industrial sectors, reduce on-site problems andvalue-engineer all aspects of a project – but it requires that webe versatile in our on-site work capabilities,” explains (George)Tecklenborg. “Among other things, the Cats allow us to providesite servicing to clients. We wouldn’t have become so verticallyintegratedwere it not for those machines.”The company runs a 10-member office staff and 35 field personnel,working projects ranging from $100,000 renovationsto $7-million buildings. True to its Langley country roots, Teckbegan as an informal venture between friends. “My dad helpedbuild a house back in the 1950s,” recalls Tecklenborg. “After theproject was finished he figured he could make a living doing so.”Teck was founded in 1957 when Al was 21. Residential constructionwas the initial bread and butter, but quickly broadened inscope to include commercial facilities, schools and hospitals.Up until recently, Langley was considered a remote outpostof Greater Vancouver, a quiet farming community with an oldfashionedtown centre and modest amenities. Under the elderTecklenborg’s guidance, Teck changed the landscape of thedowntown core, beginning with a series of car dealerships andother commercial/retail facilities in the 1970s. In 1989, Teckadopted the tilt-up method of construction in which massiveslabs of a concrete structure are formed horizontally then tiltedinto place vertically. Through hard work and creative inspiration,Teck successfully avoided the pitfalls of other tilt-up specialistswho erect big-box edifices that are visually unappealing. “Wepushed the envelope of tilt-up construction by adding attractivebox windows, elaborate glazing, reveals, cornices and columns,”says Tecklenborg.George, now 35, and Albert, 37, became involved in theirfather’s business as school kids. The low-key and well-spokenyounger brother credits Albert for pushing Teck into the realm ofdesign-build and himself for purchasing a series of excavators toaugment the company’s range of activities.The first backhoes Teck used were competitor machines, butin 1989 were replaced by a brand new Cat 416 backhoe. Fromthat point on, the Tecklenborgs remained faithful to Cat products.A 416 Series Two backhoe was purchased in 1990, followedwww.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 13

COMPANY PROFILE :: Teck Construction Ltd.CAT 420D MOVING LOCK BLOCKS AT ALANGLEY CONSTRUCTION SITE“We wouldn’t havebecome so verticallyintegratedwere it notfor those machines,”says George Tecklenborg,Teck Construction Ltd.by a 416C, then a 420D. “From the start,Caterpillar incorporated leading-edgetechnology into its backhoes,” says Tecklenborg.“It always embraced the newestengineering concepts and it was the firstto introduce the excavator-style boomand pilot controls,” he explains. “We currentlyown a 416C and the 420D, and wecan push either of these machines muchfarther than we could with the others,” hesays. “They are truly versatile.” On-site,versatility translates into Teck being ableto dig footings, excavate pipes, performslab prep, and even – if a large excavatorisn’t available – tackle site stripping.“The 420D handles that particular taskjust fine,” says Tecklenborg. “It may notbe as efficient as a large excavator, butit’s far more cost-effective than waitingfor a big machine to be freed up orfarming out the job to someone else.”The company underscored the value ofthe rugged backhoe by signing an agreementto add another 420D to its fleet.In a situation that can only be describedas a perverse endorsement of Caterpillardesirability, Teck’s 420D was stolen fromthe work site of a new Toyota dealershipin downtown Langley last fall. “The backhoehad been parked for the weekend,someone managed to maneuver it overan open ditch and under a large boom,after which I assume it was loaded onto alow-bed trailer,” says Tecklenborg. “Themachine had anti-theft devices like nightswitches that disengage the fuel lines,but the thieves knew how to deactivatethem,” he notes. Insurance paid for areplacement 420D. Now all of Teck’sequipment is outfitted with GPS/cellulartracking devices.The company is currently overseeingnine projects in and around theFraser Valley, including constructionof the 110,000-square-foot headquartersin Chilliwack for Langley ConcretePHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB SALMON14 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB SALMONTeck’s civil foreman Eric Stomperudand Tile, a 70,000-square-foot rental warehouse in a localbusiness park and offices for a small printing firm. “We mayhave only two backhoes in our equipment inventory, but thebeauty of site servicing is that it can be done at the start ofa project or even midway through. This leeway allows us totransport the machines to and from different sites as needed,”says Tecklenborg. “There’s no waiting around for equipmenton our sites.”Given its efficiency, one might expect Teck Construction tobroaden its geographical reach. But the die-hard country boyin Tecklenborg refuses to consider accepting assignments toofar from home. “There’s more than enough work for us locally,plus we have a terrific talent pool here,” he adds. “It used to bethere wasn’t much of an advantage being Langley-based, butnowadays this is a real hub of activity.” Tecklenborg smiles ashe surveys the farms and snow-capped mountains throughhis office windows. “When dad retired four years ago, mybrother and I had specific plans to grow the business, and wedid,” he explains. “From handling three-four jobs to six-eightjobs at any given time, as well as the corresponding expansionof staff and equipment, including backhoes, excavators andforklifts.”And the company is in Langley for the long run, Tecklenborgsays. “Now our plan is to remain here and use everyopportunity to be a better design-build general contractor,” hesays. “With the upcoming Olympics, we’re looking forward toa productive decade.”Operator Tells AllBackhoe operator John StomperudWhen all is said and done, the most attractive feature of heavyequipment to its operators is comfort. Teck Construction Ltd.operator John Stomperud has worked for the Tecklenborgs for21 years. He commands one of Teck’s latest additions – a 420Dbackhoe.“It’s a fabulous machine of course, but it also has the roomiestcab I’ve ever worked in,” Stomperud says. “Caterpillar obviouslywent to great lengths to make the controls and the seat ergonomically-friendly,”he adds. “Comfort is extremely important to peoplelike me. I spend eight hours each day driving backhoes.”Back in the 1980s Stomperud manned Teck’s first piece ofequipment, a competitor backhoe. When the company boughta Cat 416 machine, it took him awhile to get used to the Cat’stwo-lever control system. “The other (competitor machine) had alever for everything, but once I adapted to the Cat configurationit amazed me that I ever operated something as complex as theother,” he recalls.By contrast, the operator says Cat learned from past effortsto create the ultimate backhoe. “The pilot controls of the 420Denable you to perform all types of excavation with ease,” heexplains. “It’s an exceedingly well-designed machine.”Currently, Stomperud is transporting his 420D to various jobsites throughout the Fraser Valley. “I’m performing grading onone site, excavating on another and prep work elsewhere – theassignments change daily. So far I haven’t encountered a job the420D is not equipped to perform,” he says. “It’s a resilient backhoe,and hopefully we won’t have anymore trouble with thievesin the future!”www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 15

EQUIPMENT PROFILE16 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

Challengers boost farm servicesbusiness in safety and efficiencyB Y T O N Y K R Y Z A N O W S K ITractor PullWhen Red Deer area farmers, Norm Scottand son Richard, developed a strategy todiversify their farming business, the planincluded a custom manure managementdivision. It was a way to generate enoughincome to support two families. It was awinning business plan. However, that planwas altered by a near-tragic incident.When the Scott’s started Sno-ValleyManure Management Ltd. three years ago,they purchased a four-wheel drive tractor tohaul manure tanks from storage lagoons onhog and dairy farms to nearby fields. “Myson was coming home from a job, and as hemade a turn at the top of a hill on a gravelroad, the manure tank pushed him downinto the ditch and rolled the tractor,” says(Norm) Scott. “So we made a decision thento buy something more stable, which turnedout to be a second hand, Challenger 65 serieswith tracks instead of wheels.”Not only did the decision provide a safertractor, but it also attracted business fromarea farmers because the Challenger tractor’ssuperior flotation results in less soil compaction.The business continued to grow, leadingto the acquisition of a used Challenger75 series and another manure tank. WhileSno-Valley’s main customer base is hog farmoperations, an influx of Dutch dairy farmersimmigrating into the central Albertaregion has created opportunity and growth.The new arrivals are primarily focussed onmilk production, not farming. Sno-Valleyprovides custom seeding, combining, silageharvesting and delivery services for thedairy farms. The summer operations maintaincash flow between the busy spring andfall manure application seasons.Business is good on the manure side. Sno-Valley has booked $100,000 more work thisspring than last, and traded in its two oldermachines for two new Challenger MT765tractors to improve productivity. In addition,the company’s manure management equipmentfleet includes two, tandem 5,000-gallontanks. These are equipped with NuhnIndustries Ltd. manure injection systemsand an Aer-way brand pasture rejuvenatorimplement for applying manure on pastureand hay fields. Sno-Valley also uses a smallertractor to power the pump used to fill tankswith effluent from the lagoon. The companyis ahead of the curve on established trendsand practices in manure management –PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN GAUCHERwww.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 17

EQUIPMENT PROFILE continued“My view isthat if you are acontractor and notinjecting in fiveto 10 years downthe road, you’renot going to behauling anymore,”says Norm Scott ofSno-Valley ManureManagement Ltd.deploying injection ser vices versussurface application of manure. Scottexplains Red Deer County frowns onsurface application, although it is permittedwhen the ground is frozen wheninjection is impossible. Manure injectionhas advantages over surface application –potential health hazards are reduced fromsurface run off and the nutrients stay inthe soil. Furthermore, there is no nastyodour. In fact, the company calls itself‘the neighbour pleasers’.“My view is that if you are a contractorand not injecting in five to 10 years downthe road, you’re not going to be haulinganymore,” Scott says.On a typical job site, Sno-Valley’s smallertractor powers an agitator and pump atthe lagoon, liquid manure is pumped intotandem tanks. The rear tank is equippedwith the injection system. “It works likean air seeder,” says Scott. “The manuregoes through a set of hoses leading downto the shanks, where it is injected rightinto the ground.” Typically, it will beinjected between four and eight inchesbelow the surface.The MT765 hauls loaded tanks fromthe lagoon to the application site, whichcan be up to 3.5 kilometres away from thesource location. During peak operatingseason, the company will transport over100 loads of liquid manure in a 24-hourshift. Sno-Valley uses three injection systems.One suited for zero till soil, wherethe shanks and manure injection hosesare 30 inches apart, leaving 80% of thesoil undisturbed. The second unit is foruse in standard cultivated fields, wherethe shanks and injection hoses are 11inches apart. The third injects manureusing the Aer-way implement which isused primarily on pasture and hay fields.Manure is a natural fertilizer, reducingfarm input costs, offsetting the costof expensive commercial fertilizers. Butthere are issues with manure usage. RedDeer County requires soil testing of farm-18 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

If this plan comes together, Scott believesthe manure hauling operation has potential toevolve into a year-round business.land every three years. The concern withrepeated manure applications is phosphorousbuild up that can negatively affectwater quality. Soil tests help farmersmonitor phosphorus content and determineacceptable quantities of manureapplication for each acre of land. Farmersare also responsible for determining thenutrient value of lagoons. “In the past,the rule of thumb for applying manure insome parts of the county was 6,000 gallonsper acre,” Scott outlines. “That growsa pretty decent crop.” However, the applicationrate does vary depending on soiland lagoon nutrient tests, he adds.The need to transport manure greaterdistances was a major reason Sno-Valleyupgraded to the Challenger MT765. Thenew machines travel at speeds up to 40kilometres per hour versus 27 kilometresper hour with the older Series 65 tractor.The capacity to work faster allows Sno-Valley to operate with fewer employees.Scott is looking forward to putting thetractor’s electronic Tractor ManagementCentre (TMC) to use. The operator preprogramshydraulic flow and pressure,ground speed, engine rpm and poweroutput, so repetitive functions can beduplicated with the touch of a button –TMC’s One-Touch management system.When putting in long days, Scott saysoperator fatigue is an issue. Repeating afunction using the TMC avoids errors andmaintains consistency. The system alsohas the capability to learn. As the tractorperforms repetitive tasks, it “learns”to throttle down and reduce hydraulicflow as it reaches the end of the field. TheMT765 provides a smoother ride, moreoperator cab comfort and better visibilitycompared to the Challenger 65 series,Scott says.New standard equipment like the powertake-off (PTO) shift makes the tractormore versatile than the older Challenger,allowing farmers to pull a greater varietyof implements like forage cutters, balersand manure injectors, as is the case withSno-Valley. The transmission improvesfrom 10 gears in the older equipment to16 in the new generation of Challengertractors. The all-new Caterpillar C9engine, with 538 cubic inches (8.8 litres)of displacement and 306 gross enginehorsepower delivers plenty of consistentpower. Scott adds improved fuel economyis expected from the new MTs.Sno-Valley currently operates themanure business seasonally, from breakupto freeze-up, but this may change.Power generation from a manure digesteris being contemplated for the RedDeer area. Biogas is produced from themanure. The gas, which is primarilymethane (natural gas), is used to fuel agenerator to produce electricity for theAlberta power grid.If this plan comes together, Scottbelieves the manure hauling operationhas potential to evolve into a year-roundbusiness.Dutch DairyCountryGert and Jetty Niewenhuis immigratedto central Alberta three yearsago, lured from the Netherlands bycheaper land to run a dairy. Their goalwas never to grow grain, forage cropsor raise cattle. That’s why the couple,along with many other recent arrivalsfrom Holland, have contracted silage,grain and manure management servicesto others. Niewenhuis has operatedhis dairy south of Red Deer for thepast two years. He hired his neighbourand experienced Alberta mixed farmer,Norm Scott, to provide those services.Scott is co-owner of Sno-Valley ManureManagement Ltd.“We’ve contracted out these servicesbecause running a dairy takes alot of time and effort,” says Niewenhuis.“And having to purchase theequipment makes it too expensive todo ourselves.”He owned a dairy farm that milked65 cows in Holland before moving toCanada. His Alberta operation is nowan established 100-cow dairy. Thelack of land available to expand in Hollandhas led to an influx of Dutch dairyfarmers, particularly to central Alberta.Land further south in the province ismore expensive and requires irrigation,Niewenhuis says. Scott says the Dutchdairy customers have become morethan customers. They have becomefriends. “We’ve found that the Dutchpeople are very loyal,” Scott says.“Once you get in and do a good job,you have an opportunity to expand.Word of mouth is pretty good advertising.”www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 19

Safety FirstBRINGING A PILLOW AND BLANKET TO WORK FOR A NAP DURING A SHIFTIS NOT SEEN AS BEING A CAREER-ENHANCING MOVE WRITES KERRYTREMBLAY. BUT IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, IT MIGHT BETaking a BreakFatigue is a big issue. Workers are human,and humans get tired. Statistics fromthe United States suggest more than $46billion per year in costs are lost to sleeprelatedaccidents. Furthermore, more than40 million Americans suffer from undiagnosedsleeping disorders. No similar studiesexist for Canada, but similar issuesexist in this country.On the job fatigue impairment is beingcompared to drinking and driving. Writingfor OHS Canada in March,2001, Carolyn Schur, presidentof Alert@Work Human ResourceServices, a Canadian consultant onfatigue management says: “When Ithink about where we are with ourefforts to deal with fatigue, sleepinessand long or rotating workschedules, I think about where wewere with the drinking and drivingissue 30 years ago, when nearly halfof all fatalities on the road involveddrinking and driving. We knew itwas a problem...but we didn’t takeit as seriously as we do today.”That’s backed by a February,2005 Fatigue Management Guidereleased by Workplace Healthand Safety for Australia’s state ofQueensland. “Recent studies haveshown that staying awake for 17 hoursleads to the same level of impaired performanceas having a blood-alcohol contentof 0.05%. Staying awake for 21 hoursis equivalent to a blood alcohol content of0.1%.” The legal limit for blood alcohollevels in Canadian drivers is 0.08%.“Fatigue is mental or physical exhaustionthat stops a person from being able tofunction normally, and is mainly causedby a lack of sleep,” the management guideoutlines. Fatigue can be caused by all kindsof issues: workload, length of shift, previousnumber of days worked, shift schedulesand time of day. A host of other factorscome into play, such as having a new babyat home, a second job, eating fatty foods orbeing on-call.There’s increasing talk from researchers,governments and safety associationssuggesting fatigue is a huge, often unmeasuredfactor in accidents. The difficulty isthere are very few ways to measure it.Some companies, as part of due diligenceand emergency preparedness,are setting up backup plans to cover forfatigued workers. A newly- released studyby British Columbia’s Forestry Task forcesays on-going health and wellness andsupport programs must effectively addresscurrent and emerging physical and mentalconditioning issues, including fatigue.There are two kinds of fatigue, saysSchur. “These are physical fatigue (likewhen one has just finished a physicallyheavy job or run a race), and cognitiveor mental fatigue. That’s when the brainzones out (maybe only for a few seconds)and doesn’t even recognize that it has.It’s one thing if that happens in a meetingand another if it happens on a bigmachine or operating heavy equipment.Then it becomes a dangerous situation.Someone who is cognitively fatigued hasthe same lack of judgement as ones whoare impaired through drinking alcohol.Impaired is impaired is impaired.” That,she says, “is the bottom line.”One of the bigger factors – and onethat humans have little control over – iscalled circadian rhythm. It’s the internalbody clock that affects everything frombody temperature to digestion, hormonelevels and blood pressure. Since humansare generally diurnal (day-oriented), thebody temperature drops slightlyafter lunch and then dips more inthe early morning hours. That earlyafternoon dip is why people getsleepy in the afternoon. Naps maybe a solution, but at work has a stigmaattached to it. People stereotypeprofessionals who nap as weak, lazyor unproductive. However, naps canmaintain alertness and performance,researchers suggest.Transportation companies arealready taking a hard look at howtired drivers get. So are companieslike Canadian National RailwayCompany and a handful of others.Some companies in the U.S. are supplyingrooms that workers can napin for 20 to 40 minutes, whetherthey are working the day, evening ornight shift. And one company in New YorkCity has created a business of providingnap space for sleepy office workers – at $14US per nap.The numbers are fuzzy on the effect offatigue on work place safety and efficiency.But the vast majority of the information onthe subject suggests following the safetyaxiom – recognize the problem, understandthe solution and act in time. Maybeit’s time to wake up and let workers nap.ILLUSTRATION BY SYLVIE BOURBONNIÈRE20 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

Special ReportHuman Resources,Recruitment andTraining22Demanding TimesPassionThe need for skilled labouris high and industries arelooking to non-traditionalsources to fill the voids25for TradesDedication and perseveranceresult in highly rewardingcareers for a couple ofnewly qualified tradespeopleThe economies of Alberta and British Columbiaare surging ahead on high prices for commodities,particularly in the oil and gas, mining andconstruction sectors. With the 2010 Olympicson the horizon and new oilsands facilities beingbuilt, skilled workers are at a premium from theconstruction trades to the service and supplytrades. The push is on to get more people pursuingcareers in the trades. That has businessesand government agencies looking at non-traditionalsources for new employees.www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 21

SPECIAL REPORTHUMAN RESOURCESSPECIAL REPORTHUMAN RESOURCESINDUSTRY REPORTLANDSCAPINGDemandingTimesWestern Canada’s economic boom is fuellingdemand for highly skilled tradespeople in almostevery sector. The combination of high demandand the need to replace an aging workforce hasthe potential to create severe work shortages inthe future. This has governments and industryscrambling to find ways to train and keepapprentices and journeymen in virtually everyoccupation. With ongoing and planned projects inmining, pipelines, construction and forestry, employmentneeds are on the upswing. Skilled workers rangingfrom heavy duty mechanics to carpenters to bricklayersare in short supply.According to the Petroleum Human ResourcesCouncil of Canada’s comprehensive 2003 employmentstudy for the upstream petroleum industry, there area number of occupations that are currently facing orwill face skills shortages. The PHRC study and otherslike it released by the Canada West Foundation and theConstruction Sector Council, echo solutions exist innon-traditional sources. Traditionally, Alberta and BritishColumbia have filled worker needs through migrationfrom other parts of Canada and immigration fromThe need for skilled labouris high and industries arelooking to non-traditionalsources to fill the voidsB Y K E R R Y T R E M B L A YEurope. Today, local potential is being tapped from thegrowing non-traditional sources for skilled tradespeoplelike women, aboriginals and young people.The pattern of cross-country migration is less likelyto continue. Increased economic activity in the Atlanticprovinces, a strong Ontario economy and the 2010Olympics in B.C. means interprovincial migrationwill slow. On the immigration side, only 3% of 53,000immigrants in 2002 had trade certificates, according toStatistics Canada.Brian Clewes, CEO of B.C.’s new Industry TrainingAuthority (ITA), says he receives calls on a dailybasis from tradespeople wanting to return to B.C. TheAuthority is the province’s version of an apprenticeshipboard. He outlines, in the past year, the numberof registered apprentices in the province has increasedby more than 30%, to 19,600 from 14,600. The rise isprimarily through ITA’s work that encourages employersto hire apprentices and provide support developingprograms for trainees, Clewes adds. ITA, has partneredwith industry and educators to develop new programsto encourage high school students into the trades. Sim-22 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

HUMAN RESOURCESSPECIAL REPORTHUMAN RESOURCESINDUSTRY REPORTLANDSCAPINGilar to Alberta’s Registered Apprenticeship Program(RAP), B.C.’s Accelerated Enrolment in Industry Training(ACE-IT) is currently being launched. The programallows senior high students the opportunity to completethe first year of technical training in a trade whilethey continue earning high school credits for graduation.There is a sister program for young people alreadyworking part time as apprentices in industry. It providescredit for on-the-job time, a jump start on hoursneeded to become journeymen and a scholarship.Thinking outside the box, the ITA is involved withnew, easily-accessible and relevant programs to allowindustries and companies to train the workers for specificskills. For example, the ITA now recognizes a framingprogram, a forming program and a rebar program.All are geared to tie into eventual journeyman statusand the ability to meet the criteria for the Red Seal.With the help of industry, there is also a move afootto recognize and train for “multi-skilling”. “These arebroader apprenticeships,” Clewes outlines. “For example,an industry might need to have a skilled personwho is an industrial electrician, who can also do somebasic millwright and instrumentation work.”Skilled workers rangingfrom heavy duty mechanicsto carpenters to bricklayersare in short supplyRay Jeffery, manager of Learning and Developmentat Finning (Canada) is a tradesman with 40 years experienceand is a senior member of Alberta’s Apprenticeshipand Industry Training Board. “The challenge isthat we need to market the trades – not to the kids,but to the parents,” he says. “The trades are not secondbest!” Jeffery and Clewes outline the trades need to beseen as a viable and rewarding first career choice for students.“At Finning some skilled tradespeople have beenpulling wrenches for 35 years and really like it,” Jefferyexplains. “Others have moved into sales or supervisorypositions after only a few years in the trades.“Everything is going really well (in the economy),and that means trade people are at a premium,” he says.It means a strong demand for equipment sales and service.And there lies the challenge. “The rate of growth inbusiness means that the demand (for qualified heavyduty mechanics) is outstripping supply,” Jeffery says.Shortages sparked the unique, Caterpillar-specifictraining program called “Think Big”, offered throughthe Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).Officially called the Caterpillar Dealer Service TechnicianProgram, the training is a two-year partnershipbetween Caterpillar, NAIT and Finning.Faced with inconsistently-trained mechanics in theUnited States, Caterpillar training specialists designeda Cat-specific program. It passed the program on toNAIT (at the Fairview campus), which provides theinstructors and technical school setting. Finning offersbursaries, a loaner tool program that sees top studentsreceive more than $9,000 worth of tools free at the endof the program. Students participate in five, eight-weekwork-experience sessions.Graduates of the two-year program earn the chanceto challenge the Heavy Equipment Technician AlbertaApprenticeship Examination to become eligible for fulljourneymen status after fulfilling the required hourson the job. NAIT’s first Think Big class graduated thisApril. “The entrance requirements are high,” says Jeffery.“Students require English, Math and Physics at the30-level and Grade 12. This is the real world and wecan’t afford to drop our standards.” Think Big is a keypart of the company’s three-pronged strategy to ensurea supply of qualified technicians.Roger Dootson, district manager at PCL ConstructionManagement Inc. for Northern Alberta and theNorthwest Territories, has some of the same challengesfinding skilled construction workers and dealswith recruiting in various ways. For heavy industrialwork, including shutdowns and electrical work, PCLcompanies work directly with unionized labour. Forcommercial and institutional projects in Alberta andSaskatchewan, PCL companies use labour brokers,whose job it is to ferret out the type and number of fieldpersonnel needed. PCL works with about 150 apprenticesin a variety of fields on an assortment of sites inWestern Canada. Even with that number of trainees,there remains a high demand for carpenters, concretelabourers, crane operators and cement finishers.www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 23

SPECIAL REPORTHUMAN RESOURCESSPECIAL REPORTHUMAN RESOURCES“Our ultimate goal is tomake our place the bestplace to work,” says RodgerDootson, district managerof PCL ConstructionManagement Inc.INDUSTRY REPORTLANDSCAPINGOne of the ways the organization staves off labourshortages is to attract top people and pay them accordingly.Within PCL Construction Management Inc.,there is little job turnover with salaried employees,because people want to work for the company,explains Dootson. “Our ultimate goal is to makeour place the best place to work. We pay competitivewages, which are the tops in the industry. We have amedical benefits package second to none, retirementsavings plans, training of all kinds to ensure peopleare skilled and we have one of the safest work places.We encourage our subtrades and our labour brokers todo the same.”The company prefers to hire from the local area, butsometimes the supply of workers forces the organizationto look at non-traditional staffing.While women make up only 7% of the total constructionworkforce in Canada, (3% in Alberta), PCL isworking with industry colleagues to shift the balanceand bring more women into the construction industry.It supports an Edmonton society called Women BuildingFutures, and hires some of the society’s pre-apprenticeshipgraduates into apprenticeship positions. Thecompany also has agreements in place with aboriginalgroups to promote employment opportunities.It has also gone further distances in its quest forskilled labour. “We’re working with our labour brokersto take advantage of one of the federal government’sprograms to capture skilled workers from Germany,”says Dootson. But this has its own issues.Language barriers mean that workers need to haveon-site translators (senior supervisory staff who speakGerman). The German-speaking supervisors are morethan just a convenience. The bigger issue is safety. Peoplemust be able to understand instructions, as well asthe work systems. “Safety is of the utmost importance,”Dootson notes. “We want to be able to send peoplehome at the end of the day.”Forestry giant Weyerhaeuser Canada is beginningto notice the shortage in many trades, and particularlyin some specialized areas like sawfilers, says spokeswomanAlex Catterill, from the company’s HumanResources department in Vancouver. Weyerhaeuser’sstrategy is a commitment to hire people in the communitieswhere it operates. This has resulted in an effortinvolving the aboriginal community in the company’shiring practices. But Catterill notes it is difficultfor forestry to compete with the oil and gas industryto attract and retain workers, a sector where the earningspotential for young labourers and tradespeople issignificantly higher.At Syncrude Canada Ltd., the story on finding peoplewith the necessary skills is different, says spokespersonAlain Moore. “It’s good news on our front. Onthe heavy equipment operations side, we can hire highquality candidates within our region.” In fact, he says,they recently advertised for 45 heavy equipment operatorsand had 700 qualified applicants for the jobs. Thecompany hires in a ripple effect – first, locally, thenprovincially, and occasionally, on a national scale.Moore explains Syncrude works with local KeyanoCollege, NAIT and local high schools to foster interestin the trades as viable career choices. “Syncrude hasrecognized that it needs skilled tradespeople,” he says.The company hires a few apprentices, but prefers journeymen.And with an emphasis on local hiring anda reputation as a good place to work, he says that thecompany’s retention factor is high.Syncrude is also far ahead of many companies inthe number of Aboriginal people working either asemployees or contractors. “We are the largest aboriginalemployer in Canada,” he says. Aboriginals make up13% of Syncrude’s workforce.Tom Watts, Luscar Ltd.’s manager of human resourcessays the coal mining company hasn’t felt the full impactof any skills shortages due to business cycles, but mayin the future. He explains that the company’s successcan be directly attributed to its focus of hiring locally.“Our strength is our community ties. We make an effortto have home-grown tradespeople and apprentices.”Watts says the company is viewed as a strong employerwith leadership in safety and operational excellence,pays well and trains its employees.That commitment and reputation creates companyloyalty in the small centres where its mines are locatedin Alberta and Saskatchewan.24 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

HUMAN RESOURCESSPECIAL REPORTHUMAN RESOURCESINDUSTRY REPORTLANDSCAPINGPassionfor TradesDedication, perseverancelead to rewarding careersB Y K E R R Y T R E M B L A YIt can be a long journey to finally get the careerof your dreams. Many take different routes tocareers in the trades. Some start young, rightafter high school – others find trades careerslater on in life. According to Alberta Learning, in2003 statistics show the average age of apprenticesregistered for the first time in the firsttrade was 25. Adding up the numbers, there areapproximately 60,000 apprentices in Alberta, BritishColumbia, Yukon Territory and Northwest Territoriesstudying everything from carpentry to cooking. Forbrand-new journeyman carpenter Colette DeBeursand soon-to-be journeyman Caterpillar Dealer servicetechnician Jeff Brazeau , their very different journeyshave developed into jobs they delight in.When Brazeau was a second year millwright apprenticeattending the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology,one of his instructors told him about a brandnew program starting up – the Caterpillar Dealer ServiceTechnician program. “That tweaked my interest rightthere,” says the 30-something apprentice and memberof the Think Big program’s first graduating class.That chat with the instructor was the beginning ofa new career. He spoke to the head of the department,applied online for a spot in the program, wrote six testsranging from mechanics to math, personality, physicsand several others. “The testing was geared towardcomprehension, and thinking quickly and accurately,”he recalls. Then it was on to a three-person panel interview.Once accepted, it was time to hit the books. Alongwith 23 classmates, he spent eight weeks in the classroom,followed by eight weeks at a Finning (Canada)facility in each of five semesters. Brazeau also spentextra time in the classroom for one summer session – ina class giving participants an opportunity to challengethe Heavy Equipment Technician Alberta ApprenticeshipExaminations.“Study in class was a time for refocussing and firmingup what I already knew from my prior education,”says Brazeau. “The real learning was in the shop, whereI had a chance to apply the classroom material to themachines, working environment and people,” he says.“It’s been an environment conducive to learning.”In his final stretch of the Think Big program he isposted at Finning (Canada’s) Calgary Power Systems,PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN GAUCHERwww.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 25

SPECIAL REPORTHUMAN RESOURCESSPECIAL REPORTHUMAN RESOURCESINDUSTRY REPORTLANDSCAPINGThink Big Graduate Jeff BrazeauJourneyman Carpenter Colleen Debuersworking in the field. With an interest in gas compression,his goal is to work as a gas compression mechanic.Brazeau expects to have journeyman’s papers byDecember.For DeBeurs, 39, it has been seven long, determined,dedicated years from the time she enrolled as an apprenticeuntil she received her journeyman’s papers in carpentryin April. “I love what I’m doing, or I wouldn’t bedoing it,” she says. It took a lot to get there. “I neededto do this for myself,” says the determined mother oftwo young adults. As a hairdresser and then workingin a nursing home, she decided that it was time to finda job doing what she had always loved – carpentry.But there were roadblocks and detours. She studied toget high school equivalency, and applied to apprentice.After seven years – sometimes with side journeys forraising two children – she reached her goal. “After Istarted, I had to get it done,” DeBeurs says. Some earliestchildhood memories were helping her carpenterfatherwith projects. Later, as an adult and discontentwith her indoor jobs, her passion for carpentry wastweaked when she was building a garage. The physicallabour, working outdoors and working with wood is adream job for DeBeurs.Being a female on an industrial site has its moments,she says. There was the day a teacher brought a group ofhigh school girls to the site to see what the trades hadto offer. She was asked to talk with them for a few minutes.She wasn’t wearing nice clothes, or even a cleanshirt. It was wet and she was covered in mud. DeBeurstold the girls it was just an every day part of the job,“you had to love it anyway.”Getting along in a male-dominated world meanshaving the attitude that you are there to get the jobdone, she says. If, for example, someone hands you asledge hammer, you use it. Right now, the new journeymanis working for Coram Construction Ltd. on anindustrial site in Edmonton. She’s working with lumabeams, steel, loose forms and building pony walls. “Ienjoy doing millwork and form work on concrete,”Debeurs says. “The future looks fantastic!”26 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

Yesterday/TodayTHIS SUMMER’S WETASKIWIN ANTIQUE EQUIPMENT SHOW IS SHAPINGINTO A LEGENDARY EVENT. KEITH HADDOCK PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON THEFRATERNITY’S BIG JAMBOREEHistory in theMakingAre you all set to attend the “Greatest Showon Earthmoving”? Expect to see lowboysrumbling towards Wetaskiwin’s ReynoldsAlberta Museum (RAM), carrying dozensof antique construction and earthmovingmachines this summer. The earthwill move August 5 to 7 for the workingexhibition of the Historical ConstructionEquipment Association (HCEA) annualInternational Convention and Old EquipmentExposition. It’s the first-ever HCEAconvention held outside the United Stateswhich coincides with the association’s20th anniversary and Alberta’s centennialfestivities.What could be more appropriate tocelebrate Alberta’s prosperity, than to recognizethe machines that built our highways,mined our coal, leveled industrialsites, installed pipelines and excavated forevery type of infrastructure? The threedayevent will highlight demonstrationsof horse-powered grading and excavatingusing some of the largest horse teamsever assembled. Witness grading andexcavating by antique gasoline-poweredequipment manufactured between 1905and 1930 and the diesel-powered crawlertractors, scrapers, graders and haulersfrom 1930 to 1955. The turbo-chargeddiesel-powered equipment built between1955 and 1980 will also be featured. Be aspectator to excavators, including shovels,draglines and backhoes at work.Experience an old-time road campcomplete with fresh baking powder biscuitsfor a taste of the past. Static equipmentdisplays, literature, books, scalemodels, equipment memorabilia andmuch more will be part of the festivities.The Wetaskiwin exhibition will includedisplays from the Alberta Roadbuildersand Heavy ConstructionAssociation, Antique CaterpillarMachinery OwnersClub and the Alberta Chapterof the American TruckHistorical Society. Also, localequipment supplierswill hold a trade show displayingmodern industrialequipment.The world-class RAM isa major tourist attractionpreserving the heritage ofmachines in agriculture,industry and transportation.It is a permanent hometo hundreds of antiquecars, trucks, tractors, aircraftand surface miningequipment, including theworld’s oldest dragline anda 370-ton stripping shovel.There’s more than enoughfor the entire family to doand see at this year’s OldEquipment Exposition. AntiqueCaterpillar ownersare encouraged to bringmachines to Wetaskiwin –the organizers are looking for more.You can put it to work, or display itfor visitors eager to hear your story. Don’tworry about restoration or painting, justbring it on in!There is a generation that has never seenmachines like these operate and Wetaskiwinis the place for the entire family toexperience the past first-hand. So keep thefirst weekend in August open and attendan unforgettable show. After all, we oweit to ourselves to recognize the machinesthat contribute to the high standard ofliving we enjoy today.1. Crowds watch as vintage Caterpillar D8 tractorspull scrapers at a previous Historical ConstructionEquipment Association event.2. Here a vintage D4 pulls a perfectly-matchedCaterpillar No.40 hydraulic scraper at a previousHCEA Convention held at Albany, Minnesota.For information or registration for the HECAConvention and Expo contact Bill Graham,show chairman at (780) 413-1725 or(780) 446-4151. Or visit www.hcea2005.com12www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 27

MEETING THE CHALLENGEAirborne DeliveryP H O T O G R A P H E D B Y J O H N R O D E RJerry Keeping, right28 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

Steve FladhammerHow do you get a piece of equipment weighing 13 metri ctons to a customer with no road access? For Finning(Canada), in Terrace, British Columbia, this kind of challengeis met head-on – with helicopters.Finning customer, Nova Gold Resources Inc. is inthe planning stages to begin development of its GaloreCreek property located about 150 kilometres northeast ofStewart, B.C., and nearly 500 kilometres north of Terrace.The Galore Creek prospect is rated as the highest-gradegold, silver and copper deposit in North America.This April, Finning (Canada) technicians SteveFladhammer and Jerry Keeping began the delivery missionwith the tear down of a Caterpillar IT28G wheelloader and a 312C backhoe into 4.5-metric ton (or less)segments. The pieces were loaded onto lowboys andfl atbeds. The crew made a six-hour trek up the CassiarHighway to the Bob Quinn airstrip.Vancouver Island Helicopter Ltd. brought in itsRussian-made Kamov helicopter, which is big and powerfulenough to carry loads weighing up to 4,500 kilograms.The disassembled pieces of the loader and backhoe weretethered for fl ight to the Galore Creek camp. Eight, 55-minute round trips over a day-and-a-half period landedboth machines safely on site for assembly.Finning’s Fladhammer not only had the job of gettingthe two Cats put back together and operating, he had toget existing equipment on site up and running. “Some ofthe pieces of equipment were sitting up there from explorationyears before,” he says. And to add to the challenge:“There was between eight and 12 feet of snow at thecamp,” Fladhammer says. “Everything had to be dug out.We had to dig down to the tool shed.” The Finning technicianspent a week at the Galore Creek camp, getting thejob done.The future for the Galore Creek prospect is bright.Along with mine development, plans are in the works tobuild a major access road to Stewart, B.C., which willbecome the access point to the Pacifi c Ocean for shippingore to markets.www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 29

EQUIPMENT PROFILE30 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

A Nanaimo trio bandtogether to buildunique machinesB Y B I L L T I C ETeam EffortVisitors to the dry land sorts at WeyerhaeuserCanada’s North and South IslandTimberlands may be somewhat puzzled bya pair of machines operating at the VancouverIsland operations. The carriage sectionof the machine vaguely looks like a Caterpillar950G loader. It’s the top half resemblinga prehistoric mammoth that’s mystifying.Nicknamed the “Bandit”, the two new piecesof iron are used for strapping, or banding,log loads at the sorts. The machines were putin service early this year by Weyerhaeuser toboast efficiency and improve worker safety.The Cat 950G is the foundation for thebeasts which were converted at NanaimoFoundry Ltd. in Chemainus. “We wereinvolved right from the start,” says FabianAndersen, the president of the 117-year oldcompany that specializes in design andfabrication projects for the forest industry.“Weyerhaeuser came to us with the idea andasked if we could help with the project,”he says. “They had a similar 20-year oldmachine at one of the other VancouverIsland operations so we had something togo on, but with all of the new electronics intoday’s equipment, we were essentially startingfrom scratch.”At the North and South Island sorts,Weyerhaeuser stacks logs in bunks whichare strapped with wire into bundles for easierand safer shipping. Prior to the Bandits,strapping was performed by two strapmenwith a strapping truck. Workers manuallycut the wire, threw it over the stack, walkedaround to the back to push the wire underneath.The job was completed by handtightening and crimping. “This was a timeintensive procedure that was putting thestrapmen at risk in terms of safety. Whilethey were performing their jobs aroundthe bunks, they were also exposed to otherheavy duty equipment that works on the sortdeck,” explains Ben Lattanzi, maintenancesuperintendent for Weyerhaeuser’s SouthIsland Timberlands. “With the Bandits, weonly have one operator, and he works fromthe safety of the machine’s protected cab,which also reduces the risk of injury fromtripping or falling.”The manual system used three wires toensure the bundles remained intact. Becausethe Bandit mechanically ties the bundlestighter, only two strands of heavier wire areneeded to secure the stacks. “We have cutPHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL TICEwww.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 31

EQUIPMENT PROFILE continued“Weyerhaeuser cameto us with the idea andasked if we could helpwith the project,” saysFabian Andersen, thepresident of NanaimoFoundry Ltd.our labour costs by only needing onestrapman, and we have lowered our wirecosts by reducing the number of wires andinstalling these wires tighter,” Lattanziadds. “The project was initiated by TerryBoulet, the former maintenance superintendentfor South Island Timberlands,who retired last spring,” he explains.“Terry wrote up the initial proposal, butwhen he retired, I took over the task ofmaking sure the machine did what wewanted it to do.”Nanaimo Foundry’s Andersen, an engineerby trade, studied the older strappingmachine at Weyerhaeuser’s Cowichanoperation and observed the strapmencomplete the task at South Island sort. Healso worked closely with Ken Beaubien,the current operator of the Bandit at theSouth Island sort and the boom supervisorMark Godard. After completing theresearch and consulting with the Finning(Canada) Engineering Group in Vancouver,Andersen came up with a designLeft to right: Ben Lattanzi, Matt Laing,Mark Godard, Fabian Andersen, Neil Roineusing a new Cat 950G. The plans calledfor the removal of the original cab. Thebucket was replaced with a new “walk-inand stand-up” operating compartment.Two large spools of wire are mounted onplatforms at the rear of the machine.“Essentially, we took all of the controlsthat would have been in the 950’soriginal cab and moved them to a newlydesigned cab, which we positioned wherethe bucket would normally be,” explainsAndersen.“The cab operates on the hydraulicsthat would have operated the bucket,which means the operator can raise thecab slightly when moving the Banditfrom bunk to bunk,” he says. “Once themachine is positioned in front of thebunk, the “tusks” wrap around the logsand then the operator pushes a button,which straps the bundle. The machinethen cuts and crimps the wires before theoperator moves on.”For machine operator Beaubien, beingexposed to flaking from the aluminum32 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

“It was a real team effort between Weyerhaeuser,Nanaimo Foundry, the subcontractors andFinning,” says Ben Lattanzi, maintenancesuperintendent for Weyerhaeuser’s SouthIsland Timberlands.wires when operating the machine was aconcern. This inspired another innovativeidea for the Bandit.At the end of his shift, the operatorwas often covered with small fragmentsof aluminum. However, during the rainywinter months, Beaubien noticed flakingwas less of a problem because the wirewas wet. The mechanics at South IslandTimberlands came up with a spray systemto keep the wire damp. In the finaldesign, Andersen enhanced the optionwith a system that sprays soapy water onthe wire, alleviating the flaking problemcompletely.One of the biggest challenges on theproject was installing the controls intothe new cab arrangement. “The newmachines are proportionately electronicover hydraulic, so we spent a great dealof time getting the controls in the newcab operating,” Andersen says. “We havewhat looks like an elephant trunk full of18 gauge wire feeding into the new cab.”He enlisted the help of a couple of otherVancouver Island subcontractors for theproject. Cowichan Hydraulics EquipmentService and Supply Ltd. played asignificant role in the hydraulics, whileAmmeter Electric Ltd. contributed on theelectrical work.“It was a real team effort betweenWeyerhaeuser, Nanaimo Foundry, thesubcontractors and Finning,” says Weyerhaeuser’sLattanzi. “Without all of thesegroups participating, we could not havegot this project off the ground.”The carrier machine was sold throughFinning Nanaimo, which brought generalline salesman Matt Laing, and Nanaimobasedproduct support rep Neil Roineinto the project.“Terry Boulet called me up and toldme what he had in mind, so we went outand had a chat about it,” explains Laing.“We sold a 950G loader without the cab,but more importantly, we were able to gothat extra mile to meet Weyerhaeuser’sexpectations and requirements.”For Roine, who spent many hours onthe project for Finning, the results wereworth the effort. “We were pleased withthe end result, and the customer waspleased,” he says. “We had worked withNanaimo Foundry on other projects inthe past, but mainly liners, buckets andother attachments,” Roine adds. “Thiswas definitely the biggest project we havecompleted with them.”Other log handling operations in B.C.have expressed interest in the Bandit.With the success at Weyerhaeuser, it mayonly be a matter of time before anotherjoint effort goes on the drawing boards atNanaimo Foundry.Second LifeNanaimo Foundry has a long, varied,and at times, tumultuous history inB.C.’s forest industry. The companywas founded in 1888 in the harbourcity of Nanaimo. In 1992, the companyneeded re-capitalizing. It waspurchased by a group that includescurrent president Fabian Andersen.“The company was in pretty toughshape when we bought it,” he recalls.“We remained in Nanaimo for a fewyears, and then as we started to buildthe business back up again, we movedthe company to Chemainus and constructeda brand new shop.”The new facility, which opened in1999, offers 20,000 square feet ofspace and an overhead crane for movingand positioning large components.Nanaimo Foundry still specializes inthe forest industry, including the pulpand paper sector, but has also completedprojects for construction andcement companies.In addition to custom design, fabricationand machining services, thecompany has a construction side. NFInstallations is a wholly owned subsidiaryof Nanaimo Foundry, specializingon installations for the forest industry.“We have the design, supply, andinstallation capabilities all within onecompany,” notes Andersen. “Thatdiversity has helped us build NanaimoFoundry back up, and will take us intothe future.”www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 33

FIELD TESTMulti TaskingB Y J I M S T I R L I N GChallenger MT 865 showspower and adaptabilityWeather is the farmer’s friend and foe,often during the same growing season.But the elements were conspicuously uncooperativelast fall when grain farmers inAlberta’s Peace River country were trying tolift their crops.“It was a terrible harvest, so wet. We couldn’t get a truck or aSuper-B in the fields. We were just slogging through the mud,”recalls Gerry Wells. Now he knows enough to never tweak theweather Gods’ noses. But he recognizes his new ChallengerMT 865 tractor mounted on tracks becomes a very useful allywhen the weather gets bad and ground conditions get worse.“I’ve only put about 300 hours on it, but so far, so good.The flotation’s there so the tractor won’t rut the ground,” Wellsexplains. “You can’t beat it for soft conditions. And I like theway it’s agile and fast in the field with a good range of speeds,”he adds. The northern Alberta farmer has dedicated his workinglifetime to farming and seen many descriptions of equipmentand machinery come and go. His operations spreadacross about 9,000 acres in the region of Wanham, near thePeace River, some 50 miles north of Grande Prairie. He growscanola, wheat, some barley and grass seeds like creeping redfescue.Experience is invaluable when drawing up a shopping listof machinery requirements. “I wanted a tractor to have horsepower,be close to the ground and felt tracks were the way togo,” the farmer explains. The 865 has the power in spades,with 500 gross horsepower from the Caterpillar C16 electronicengine. Wells is experienced with wheeled tractors. “I’m nothappy with [wheel] traction,” he explains. “There’s a power34 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN DELFShop in some conditions (because of) tire pressures.” And thememories of last fall’s rains and ruts remain painfully fresh.Wells wanted the horsepower kick the 865 delivers forstrong performance on a variety of tasks. “The Challenger canrun my grain cart, which means pulling about 60 feet of equipment,”he says. “It can get over a lot of area in a short time.”And more acres per hour translate into improved productivity,Wells adds. “The tractor can move right along – it has a transportspeed of about 25 miles an hour. It’s practical to accessscattered areas, but can idle way down for seeding.”Options on Wells’ MT include 36 inch tracks, the extremebelt option and an Auto-Guide satellite navigation system.“You just punch in the co-ordinates and off it goes, perfectlystraight, all governed by the machine’s global positioning system,”he says. “All you have to do is turn it around at the endof a pass. There’s no overlap in seeding and therefore it’s morecost effective. You’re not wasting seed or fertilizer.” He alsoappreciates the easy-to-read display terminal located next tothe operator’s console. “It provides several types of informationon the tractor’s performance including the hydraulics,GPS system, power demands and fuel consumption right infront of your eyes like a TV screen. It’s a very useful tool.”The other part of this field test is dealer commitment. Wellssays Finning (Canada) has re-invigorated its commitment toagricultural equipment in the region.“The equipment has to be out in the marketplace for thelong-term and that’s happening now and I think the productquality’s certainly there,” he says. “[The Finning rep] has beenreally excellent and we’ve been very happy with the serviceback-up,” Wells adds. “He’s looked after our best interests andunderstands what we want.”Go AnywhereThe MT, in the MT 800 series of Challenger tractors, standsfor multi terrain. Equally apt is multi-talented. Plowing windwhippednorthern Alberta snow isn’t the number one designpurpose for the MT 865. But with grain fields firmly underwinter’s grip, the machine demonstrated that versatility thiswinter. “We put a 14 foot blade on it and it worked really wellaround the farm yard,” says Jerry Mazurek. For the comingsummer, he’s confident the tractor will prove its mettle in thefield with more conventional tasks, including pulling a trailerwith a 57-foot Flexicoil air drill.With his father, Mazurek operates the family farm atEaglesham, about half way between Grande Prairie andPeace River. The grain producing operation, covering an areaof 2,700 acres, has come a long way since the family firsthomesteaded the area in 1939.“Today, there’s pressure in the grain industry to get out in thefields earlier each spring,” Mazurek explains. “At that time(in the spring), we need to keep our soil compaction levelsdown so we chose this tracked machine.” Three distincttypes of soil on the Mazurek farm compound the compactionchallenge. “We’ve got sandy soils, white clay and gumboand our operations are up to 15 miles apart,” he explains.“From what we’ve seen, we’ll get excellent flotation on allour soils with the Challenger.” Pulling power was anotherfactor in choosing the MT 865. Horsepower is needed to getthrough the area’s uncompromising gumbo terrain, Mazurekadds. Furthermore, he estimates fuel efficiency will improvewith less passes due to the larger size and capacity of theChallenger MT. “I feel the 865 can get the job done.”www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 35

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTMINING IN BRITISH COLUMBIAReady forTakeoffB Y B I L L T I C EB.C.’s mining industry is gearing up fora renaissance in activity and explorationIt’s not quite a Tsunami, but the booming economies ofAsia are producing a ripple effect across the Pacific that ishitting the shores of British Columbia in a very good way.Demand for raw materials is high, prices are rising andthe province’s mining sector is looking forward to a periodof recovery and growth. The long overdue resurgenceis far-reaching and long-term, industry insiders suggest.“We are seeing decade-high prices, major demand for mineralsfrom China and other countries and we are experiencingrapid growth here at home,” says Jim Cox, vice-president ofoperations for Ledcor CMI (Civil, Mining and Infrastructure),a division of the Ledcor Group of Companies. “Everything isin place for us to have a sustainable mining industry in B.C. forat least five to 10 years.”The company was quick to capitalize on the upswing inthe market. Last year, it entered into a joint venture with Vancouver-basedGibraltar Mines Ltd., a subsidiary of VancouverbasedTaseko Mines Limited to re-open the Gibraltar open pit36 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

copper mine near Williams Lake, B.C. “The Gibraltar mine hadbeen maintained in standby condition for the past few yearsdue to poor market conditions for copper,” Cox adds. As operator,Ledcor hired 47 staff employees and 187 hourly personnelfor the operation. At 35,000 tonnes per day, the mine isexpected to produce an average of 70 million pounds of copperand 980,000 pounds of molybdenum concentrate annually.The reopening of the Gibraltar operation in October lastyear was a clear signal the mining sector’s comeback is officiallyunderway. “We are emerging out of a time that was prettytough for the mining industry in this province,” says MichaelMcPhie, president and CEO of the Mining Association of BC(MABC). “We saw a lot of mine closures in the late 1990s andthe last few years have been difficult, but we are definitely seeingresurgence in the industry.” Exploration spending was upby more than 300% in 2004, to $130 million from just $29million in 2001,” he says. “In addition to having the Gibraltarmine re-opening, we had two new coal mines come on-streamin the northeast sector of the province.”Eleven new mines are in the works in the province. Fourare currently in the pre-application stage and seven others aregoing through environmental reviews. In total, more than $2billion in investment is expected in new mines. According tothe MABC, mining is a $4 billion industry in the province.Mining jobs are the highest paid in the resource sector, averaging$94,500 per year, including benefits in 2003. The PricewaterhouseCoopers2003 Mining Report outlines mining accountsfor 6,000 direct jobs and 12,000 indirect jobs in B.C. Provincialrevenues from mining increased to an estimated $115.9million in 2004 from $53.9 million in 2001. Meanwhile, provincialmineral tax revenues rose to $107 million in 2004 from$44.7 million in 2001, according to the MABC.“The next few years are going to be a very exciting timefor B.C.’s mining industry,” says Pat Bell, the minister of statefor mining. “The current government recognizes that miningcan, and should, play a key role in the economy of this province,”he says. “We asked the industry what we needed to doto ensure that B.C.’s mining industry would be competitivewith other jurisdictions, and then we implemented programsto make this happen.” Bell explains the elimination of provin-“The supply chain is enjoyingstrong growth as the B.C. miningindustry continues to grow,”says Vin Coyne, chairman of theBC Mining Suppliers, Contractorsand Consultants Association.cial sales tax on equipment and the corporate capital tax arefuelling industry growth. The government recently introducedthe Mining Plan for B.C. “This is a detailed document with 57action steps designed to enhance the mining industry, and it isa great tool for the province in developing our mineral resources,”Bell explains. The MABC’s McPhie says the February provincialbudget commits $18 million to the plan and sends apositive signal to investors. “The latest budget has generallyhad a positive impact on the mining sector, and although westill feel there is some work to do, we think it is a move in theright direction.”The service and supply sector is also picking up on thewave of increased activity. “The supply chain is enjoyingstrong growth as the B.C. mining industry continues to grow,”explains Vin Coyne, chairman of the 175-member BC MiningSuppliers, Contractors and Consultants Association. “Higherworld prices for minerals, growing demands from Asianmarkets, and the favourable business climate created by thecurrent B.C. government are the major contributing factors.”Coyne adds suppliers benefit from a “two for one” spin-offfrom increased mining activity – one supplier job is createdfor every direct industry job.Brent Davis, Finning (Canada)’s general manager, mining,coal and base metals agrees. “We are adding customer supportpeople as well as mechanics in all of B.C.’s mining areas.”Finning is delivering a fleet of eight 785C 150-ton trucks, tothe Imperial Metals Corporation operation at the Mount Polleymine near Williams Lake. Also, Teck Cominco’s HighlandValley Copper mine south of Kamloops has ordered moreequipment, including five 793 240-ton trucks, he outlines. “Ifyou take into account our traditional mining business at ElkValley Coal in Sparwood and Kemess Mines north of Smithers,we are seeing excitement in all areas of the mining sector.The key indicators are pointing to a high level of activity forquite some time,” Davis says. “This increased activity is greatfor everyone involved.”www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 37

COMPANY PROFILE :: Marnevic Construction Ltd.The DeCiccio’s (Clockwise from left rear):Velda, Troy, Neil, Todd, Ronica, Bill, MarthaPHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN DELFS38 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

Northern Alberta oilfieldcontractor prospers byfocusing locallyFox TrotB Y C H R I S T O P H E R S P E N C E RPHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN DELFSFox Creek wasn’t much more than a dot on themap when Victor (Bill) DeCiccio first saw thecommunity in 1967. He was contracted to dosome Cat work in the area for an oil companyand expected to be home in Drayton Valleywithin two weeks.“There were only 50 people,” he remembers. Fox Creek reallywas in the middle of nowhere, a stopping point on the long journeybetween Edmonton and Grande Prairie. There was a gas stationand not much else.By the time DeCiccio’s two-week contract was due to expire,the population of Fox Creek was up to 53. Oil companies weredrilling for black gold under the muskeg, and needed contractorsto build roads. He decided to stay in the newly incorporated village,and was soon joined by his wife Martha and son Neil.Marnevic Construction Ltd. officially came into being on Nov.1, 1968. The name demonstrated that this would be a true familycompany. “Mar” for Martha, “Ne” for Neil and “Vic” for Victor.Along with one employee, DeCiccio operated Caterpillar D4’s inthe local oilfields, building firewalls and fixing washouts.To expand the new business, DeCiccio looked around for agood deal on a grader. He found one at an auction sale in Kelownaand drove it as far as Golden, near the Alberta border, at asteady pace of 25 miles per hour. Taking the slow route saved thecompany money, because then it didn’t have to pay road truckingtaxes to the British Columbia government. At Golden, Billloaded the grader on a lowboy and had it trucked the rest of theway to Fox Creek.The community was growing rapidly and Marnevic keptpace. In 1969, the company built a small shop to handle maintenance.Previously, all repairs were done in the field, with onlyan old parachute to close in the machine. Four years later, sonNeil returned from Edmonton after studying accounting andbusiness administration and took over the office duties fromMartha. Marnevic purchased bigger Cats to supplement the D4sand added scrapers to its growing fleet of equipment. The companyalways tried to acquire new units before existing machinesbecame uneconomical to operate.“The older equipment has to help us make payments on thenew stuff as well,” (Neil) DeCiccio says. He is cautious aboutexpanding, as his priority is to make sure Marnevic’s financesremain in good order. “Part of our philosophy is that we do tryto keep our payments within a reasonable amount. Right now,when the oilfield is very busy, it would be easy to go out andbuy four or five brand new pieces of equipment. But, if we do itthat way, we’re running the risk that, if the oilfield crashes, howdo we come up with the money to make the payments? SinceFinning took over, we’ve talked to several of the salesmen andthey always work with us and with Cat Finance to give us goodrates,” he adds.The DeCiccios understand that providing construction servicesin a resource-based economy can be a risky business. In theearly ‘80s, the combined effects of declining oil prices and theNational Energy Program forced many competitors into receivership.“In the early years, there were always rumours that FoxCreek would be a ghost town by 2000,” Neil DeCiccio says. “Ofcourse, that time has come and we’re still here.”www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 39

COMPANY PROFILE :: Marnevic Construction Ltd.TROY DECICCIO, JOURNEYMAN MECHANIC;A CAT 988B (RIGHT)“In the early years, therewere always rumoursthat Fox Creek wouldbe a ghost town by2000,” says MarnevicConstruction Ltd.’s NeilDeCiccio.Marnevic succeeds by concentrating onthe local market and avoiding biddingwars with larger companies. “Most contractors,they’re staying in hotel roomsand traveling across the province,” saysTodd DeCiccio, who takes care of theoperations and safety side of the business.“We pretty well stay within an 80-kilometreradius of Fox Creek, so our guys arehome every night.”Todd represents the third generation ofthe DeCiccio family to take an interest inthe company. His brother, Troy, is focusingon mechanical engineering. Familyand community are important themesat Marnevic. “Our jobs are such that ourworkers can go home at night and be withtheir families,” says Martha, the matriarchof the clan. “We’re having fun and weenjoy Fox Creek,” she adds. “We participatein helping the community and we’revery proud of the employees we have.”That spirit is reflected in the floats theDeCiccios have built in the Marnevicshop. Between 1989 and 1991, the companywon three awards at the KlondikeDays parade in Edmonton.There have been a lot of changes in the37 years since Bill launched the business.Instead of one employee, there are now 50full-timers on the payroll, with additionaltemporary jobs during the busy season.Marnevic maintains more than 35 piecesof machinery and 10 trucks. In 1975, thecompany purchased a rock crusher toprovide gravel surfacing for all-weatherroads, the start of what the DeCiccios liketo call their “Flintstone era.”What’s next for the company? “Thefuture depends on these grandsons ofmine, whether they want to expand andmove on, or stay and be like the rest us,”Bill muses. “As far as I’m concerned, wemake a damn fine living here so whyshould we move on.” Todd doesn’t thinkvery much of the idea of moving on,either. “I don’t see any reason why I wouldleave. I grew up here and I enjoy the smalltown. I went to university in the city, andI’m definitely not a city person. I wouldhave a hard time working in a bank orsomething where you are doing the samething everyday.”Fox Creek, population 2,500, haschanged a lot since Bill had his first lookat the place. There are schools and playgrounds,hiking trails and plans to build askateboarding park for teenagers. Nearbylakes offer top-notch fishing and boating.In the winter, the DeCiccios spend a lot oftheir recreational time at the curling rink,where Todd and Troy provide the sweepingpower for a championship foursomeskipped by Neil.The community and the companygrew up together. It is a relationship that islikely to continue for a very long time.PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN DELFS40 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

Bill’s BusinessBACKHOE BILL SEIZES AN OPPORTUNITY. GORD COPE EXPLAINS HOW BILLLANDS A NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND HIRES HIS FIRST EMPLOYEEILLUSTRATION BY SYLVIE BOURBONNIÈREOpportunityKnocksIt was a beautiful spring Saturday incentral Alberta. Bill Bako had just finisheddigging a basement with his Cat 320CLexcavator and was taking a coffee breakin his F 150. All around the subdivision,the air was filled with the whine of electricsaws and the sharp crack of hydraulic nailguns as construction crewsassembled homes.Bill glanced up as JackArmstrong, the developer,pulled up in his 4 x 4 and gotout. Bill pointed to the rollof blueprints under Jack’sarm. “How are the plans forPhase III going?” Jack noddedtoward a distant cloudof dust rising from the landscape.“The scrapers are justfinishing up with the topsoil.We need to get the crews in tostart the roads.” Bill finishedhis coffee. “Great. I shouldbe done here in time to startbasements once the roads arepoured.”Jack shook his head. “Youmight have to wait. My dozercrew took a job in Fort Mc-Murray. I don’t have anyoneto cut the roadbeds. You knowanybody with a dozer? I can promise eightmonths solid work.”Bill thought for a moment. “Sorry, no.But if I hear of someone, I’ll let you know.”That evening, Bill took advantage of thenice weather, having his buddy Wayneover for a barbecue. He told his accountantabout Jack’s problem. “My worry is that I’llbe idle for a couple of months unless hefinds a dozer soon.”Wayne came up with an idea. “If Jackis guaranteeing eight months work, youmight want to think about getting a D7yourself.” Bill laughed. “Great plan, Einstein.How am I supposed to operate twomachines at once?”“My neighbor’s son, Ricky, just got hiscertificate for dozers and he’s looking forwork.” A smile broke out on Bill’s face.“Give me his number.”Monday morning, Bill went to see Paul,his Finning customer account manager. “Anew D7 would cost $505,000,” Paul said.“A rent-to-purchase contract with CatFinancial requires at least 20% equity toflip. You can build that up with a sevenmonth rental, which is $17,600 per month,plus carrying interest. At the end of sevenmonths, you have $123,200, which is overthe 20% threshold. After that, we can putyou on a 48-month purchase agreement at$9,800 per month.”“What are my monthly expenses?”asked Bill. Paul chewed his pencil inthought. “The ownership payments are$17,600 per month. Fuel is $100 per operatingday, maintenance is going to run you$500, taxes $1,000, salary for your operator,$5,000, insurance $600 and miscellaneousstuff $500.”That afternoon, Bill and his wife Brendalooked at cash flow for the dozer. “It’sgoing to run $26,000 a month until I flipthe contract,” said Bill. “At $1,300 per daygoing rate, I’d need at least20 days to break even.” Heshook his head. “Pretty tight.”“You’ve been doing quitewell this last year with theexcavator,” said Brenda.“We’ve got a nest egg of over$80,000 in cash. You couldput $50,000 on the D7 andreach the 20% thresholdthree months early.” Billsmiled. “You’re right. Afterthat, monthly costs drop byalmost $8,000, and if we geta quiet month, we can usethe interest only paymentoption.”The next day, Bill went tosee Jack with his plan. “Bill,you’re a lifesaver,” said thedeveloper. “You can startimmediately.” Bill closedthe deal with Finning andRicky showed up at PhaseIII to crew the new dozer. “If you ever needmore guys, I got a whole gang of pals dyingto work local,” said Ricky. Bill stared outat the subdivision rising around him, andthen slapped Rick on the back. “I may justhold you to your word on that!”Next Column: Bill starts to expand.www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 41

Count On UsMay 31, 1960Customer support is a long-standing, or to be more precise, a72-year Finning tradition. Here, Finning mechanic Bill Wilshire(left) reviews a 30-day service report with a customer fromthe District of North Vancouver. The report, part of the Finningservice department’s Production Maintenance Check Plan,helped this new Cat 955 Traxcavator get through the yearwithout a single hour of downtime.42 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca

USEDEQUIPMENTFor quality used equipment call 1-888-FINNING, orsearch for more equipment online at finning.ca andwww.CatUsed.comAG TRACTORS• 1998 Cat 85E stock# TR155917 price $150,000a/c, cab, stereo, 30” belts 82%, bogies 75%. Grande Pr.• 1997 Cat 85D stock# TR156119 price $135,00035” belts 65%; 4 remotes, case drain. Red Deer.• 1997 Cat 45 stock# DP155258 price $98,000a/c, erops, stereo, 4 remotes, pto, 3pt hitch. 200 pto hp.• 1996 Cat 75C stock# TR158127 price $107,100Cab, a/c, 4 hyd case drain, 30” belts 65%. Grande Pr.•1995 CASE 7210 stock# TR158095 price $58,000deluxe cab, mfd, 3 remotes, 540 / 1000 pto. Edm.• 1997 Cat 65D stock# TR157780 price $124,500Cab, a/c, 4 remotes, case drain. Grande Pr.• 1994 JD 8570 stock# TR157640 price $69,000cab, 1 owner, 3 remotes, case drain, 24 spd trans. Edm.• 1989 JD 8560 stock# TR157591 price $60,000deluxe cab, 4 valves, diff lock, 24 spd. Leth.• 1994 Cat 85C stock# TR155869 price $125,500deluxe cab, case drain, 4 valves, pto 35” belts. Edm.• 2000 Cat 95E stock# TR157049 price $177,000cab, perf monitor, pto, 4 remotes w/ case drain. Gr. Pr• 1998 Cat 95E stock# TR156643 price $155,000a/c, pto, cab, Cat ID monitor, 4 hyd valve. Edm.EXCAVATORS• 1997 Cat 330BL stock # DP157066 price $145,000cab, 48” dig, wb chuck blade, hyd thumb.• 1997 Cat 330BL stock # TR159373 price $114,000cab, ac, qc, dig bkt, clean up bkt.• 1998 Cat 345BL stock # DP153495 price $175,000erops, ac, reach boom 22’8”, 84” cu bkt, hd catwalks.• 1998 Cat 330BL stock # TR158932 price $163,000cab, ac, qa, thumb, 42” dig bkt, chuck blade, cat walks.• 2000 Cat 330BL stock # TR157897 price $191,900cab, fin qa thumb, 36” dig bkt, catwalks.• 2000 Cat 330BL stock # TR157047 price $ 185,000cab w/ac, 48” dig bkt, wb chuck blade, qc, hyd thumb.BACKHOE LOADERS• 1998 CAT 416C stock# TR157557 price $46,000cab w/htr, gp bkt, e stick, kwik, 4x4. Red Deer.• 1998 CAT 426C stock# XF100490 price $53,000• 2002 CAT 420D stock# TR158173 price $83,900a/c, 42” cu bkt, 24” dig bkt, quick coupler, Grande Pr• 1998 CAT 416C stock# TR157651 price $50,000erops, mp & 42” cu bkt, qc, dig bkt.• 1999 JD 310SE stock# TR156982 price $50,000erops, gp bkt, 24” dig bkt, e stick, 4 wd. Calgary.DELIMBERS FORESTRY• 1994 KOM PC300-5 stock# TR157549 price $65,000fops, a/c, fire supression, forestry guard.• LB LS2800C II Stock# TR158592 price $73,500cab, rops; forestry guard, fire supr, std carbody. Houston.• 1995 KOM PC220-6LC stock# DP158174 price $60,000cab fops, a/c, fire supr. rock grds, steel rolls. Gr.Pr.• 1997 KOM PC200LC-6 stock# DP157859 price $65,000forestry cab, a/c, TJ 762C processing head. Edm.• 2002 VALMET 530T stock# DP157855 price $250,000erops; forestry guard; Valmet 370 proc. head. Edm.• 1992 LB LS3400C stock# TR157846 price $59,000cab w/ ac, fops, catwalks, rock grds. fire supr. Vernon.TRACK TYPE TRACTORS• 1991 CAT D8N stock# DP158091 price $177,000erops, jobber cab, oilfield guard. ex-hyd pump. Gr. Pr.• 2002 CAT D7RIILGP stock# IP158137 price $417,000erops, a/c, brush guard. Grande Pr.• 2001 CAT D6MXL stock# IP157875 price $187,000erops, a/c. pat dozer, u/c 80% avg. Edmonton.• 1997 CAT D6RXL stock# TR157636 price $181,500fops cab w/canopy sweeps. a/c, diff steer. Calgary.• 1999 CAT D7R stock# TR157515 price $348,000cab w/ac, HD engine side guards. Edmonton.